"The Achaemenidae would soon become extinct, if every one were to follow such examples as Gyges and Araspes have set us.

And your one wife, Bartja, is really not worth talking about.

It is your duty to marry three wives at once, in order to keep up your father's family--the race of Cyrus." "I hate our custom of marrying many wives," answered Bartja.

"Through doing this, we make ourselves inferior to the women, for we expect them to remain faithful to us all our lives, and we, who are bound to respect truth and faithfulness above every thing else, swear inviolable love to one woman to-day, and to another to-morrow." "Nonsense!" cried Zopyrus.

"I'd rather lose my tongue than tell a he to a man, but our wives are so awfully deceitful, that one has no choice but to pay them back in their own coin." "The Greek women are different," said Bartja, "because they are differently treated.